


Beetlejuice and Witchcraft

by rubadubdub



Category: Lord John Series - Diana Gabaldon, Outlander & Related Fandoms, Outlander Series - Diana Gabaldon
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff and Angst, Genderbending, Ghosts, Halloween, M/M, Witches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:46:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26948443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rubadubdub/pseuds/rubadubdub
Summary: John Grey just wanted to take a nice walk but somehow ended up running into Beetlejuice and going witch-hunting on Halloween night.
Relationships: Claire Beauchamp/Jamie Fraser, Lord John Grey/Brian Randall, Lord John Grey/Brianna Randall Fraser MacKenzie
Comments: 8
Kudos: 15
Collections: Lord John Trick-or-Twink Spooktacular 2020





	Beetlejuice and Witchcraft

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact I have never celebrated Halloween nor did I know where Massachusetts was until three weeks ago. Enjoy!

John was just trying to be a good friend. And good friends go out of their way to help each other. You know how you show them around campus, where the good food is, spend long nights working on assignments together, all until you respectfully accept that your feelings towards said friend aren't reciprocated in that way but you remain friends because you are good friends and you don't want to lose that. Even after years apart you help your good friend out by letting them come live with you because you just happen to live in the same city as their ex does now. And you want to help him rekindle that relationship because you are a good friend and that would make him happy. And If he's happy then you're happy right? 

John was alone in his apartment. He was accompanied by half a glass of brandy and a fat stack of literature essays waiting impatiently to be marked. The worst part was that it wasn't even good brandy. Really he must find somewhere that imports better stuff than this. The best it could do for him now was dull the pain of a hundred shit essays on why we study literature. Freshman classes were the worst. 

He leaned back into the worn leather armchair, putting his feet up on the coffee table. He hadn't realised how empty his apartment felt now that his unexpected housemate wasn't here to accompany him for their regular evening chess games. Jamie was out with Claire tonight. After so many years apart Jamie was determined to make a good second first impression. John had been sitting in the same spot an hour earlier reassuring Jamie that yes the blue sweater had been a better match with that jacket. Yes, you should take a scarf out. It will be cold tonight. No, you don't look too old now. There were still a few discarded shirts and ties on John's couch that didn't meet tonight's strict standards. 

He couldn't help but smile at the thought of how anxious Jamie was. There was seldom anything that could make the man this nervous. But this was Claire. Jamie couldn't sit still when she had agreed to go to dinner with him. It was clear he still loved her tremendously and those feelings were returned.

John had hoped by forty he would have had things more figured out. His brother was married to a good woman, he had raised four children and wasn't looking to retire out of the army anytime soon. At least coming out to his family a few years ago meant that he didn't have to deal with Minnie and his Mother's increasing interrogations on when he was going to settle down and have a family of his own. But by God was he asking too much to have someone in his life? 

He’d thought Percy would have been 'the one', whatever that meant. But that dream had swiftly gone out the window when Percy had cheated on him. The aftermath of Percy was what had led John to Boston, in hopes that the entire Atlantic Ocean was enough to put his past behind him. Instead, it had the adverse effect of bringing back another man who had broken his heart back into his life. He found it hard to begrudge Jamie for wanting the love of his life back. What John wouldn't give to find his. 

This was clearly a bad line of thought to be going down tonight. Wallowing in self-pity wasn't going to get those papers done by Monday. He decided upon a walk, in hopes it would clear his mind. Just down to the river and back should do it. He mustered most of his leftover resolve to get up off the couch and the rest to finish off the brandy. John was sure to take his warmest coat on his way out, leaving behind his work and bitter memories.

The good thing about living so close to Boston University was that travel time to his classes was significantly shorter than most. The worst part was constantly running into students. By the look of things, most of them were out in costume tonight. He had forgotten that tonight was Halloween. It had already felt like it had been Halloween for the past three months with all the decorations and advertisements everywhere he looked. If he was lucky he could avoid most of them and enjoy his walk in peace. 

John tucked his scarf a little tighter around his neck and crossed his arms in an attempt to retain some more heat. It had rained most of the day but the night was clearer. It certainly was the brisk walk he needed to refresh his senses. The closer he got the more chill there was in the air as the wind whisked over the river carrying a spray of saltwater. The steady rushing sound of the river in the night brought a sense of peace to his mind and he felt his body and soul begin to settle. 

He had thought himself quite alone in the night. But as he made his way back around the small park by the river he could see a figure hunched over on a bench. As he approached the somebody moonlight peak through the clouds, illuminating the park just enough that John could clearly make out it was a young man on the bench in a black and white striped suit. Given that it was Halloween night he would give this stranger the benefit of the doubt that this was a costume and not an attempt of fashion. 

He hadn't wanted to engage with the man, content about going about his own night but there was a quivering in the man's shoulders that concerned John. Perhaps he was crying? Or drunk? Or worse, he had taken something illicit at a party before wandering off to die of exposure in the park unless John intervened. And since John found himself morally opposed to letting some poor fool die alone in a park he went to check on him. 

"Are you alright?"

The man gave a jolt at being addressed. His head snapping up looking at John clearly flustered. John could see his eyes were puffy and underneath the smeared black eye makeup his cheeks were flushed. 

"Oh, I'm ok… It's fine," but the stranger didn't sound too convinced of that himself. His head slumped back down defeated. John was even more concerned now.

"Are you sure of that? It's just that I can't possibly leave you out here on your own like this." Perhaps John could return him to whatever party he'd come from. "You haven't been abandoned by your friends or anything have you?" John said with a frown. 

"No no," he gave a snort and rubbed his sleeve across his face a few times. "I just ahh wasn't in the party mood tonight. Didn't want to bring down the mood you know so I umm went for a walk." The stranger still had his head hanging down, seemingly interested in the grass. John took a seat on the bench next to him. 

"Oh, I see," John tried to think of where he was going next with this."May I inquire into what has upset you so? I know it's really not my place but…" John had no idea where he was going with this.

He took a moment to examine the stranger's ill-fitting suit. It was clear that the white stripes thickly painted on were now beginning to crack and flake away. His eyes followed the lines on the suit up to the young man's face. Certainly quite a bit younger than himself. The hair covering his face was chalky and stiff from being generously sprayed with grey hairspray. A few stray auburn curls at the back of his head had escaped such treatment. 

"It's just that…" The stranger began. For a moment he was pensive. Or maybe it was a look of utter loss. He turned to study John’s face, apprehensive of what to share. John silently conveyed that he was patient and listening. 

"My mum's going out on a date tonight. A date with my biological father. The bio father that I didn't know existed until a few months ago. My father…" his voice faltered, "...my real father who raised me, he died in January. And within a few months, she's already found an old lover to move on with." He ran his hands through his hair then momentarily gripped his fists so tightly on the roots that John worried he'd rip his scalp off before he let go. 

"I saw her when she left tonight. I watched from the window as she ran into his arms and she looked so happy," There was a shakiness to his voice that tugged at the bottom of John's stomach. "And I never saw her that happy with my father." He stared blankly off into the middle distance trying to blink back tears. 

"I'm sorry to hear that. It must be a difficult and confusing time for you." John winced at his overly formal consoling. Matters like this were hard to navigate and he didn't know how else to express his sympathies. 

"Yeah well… I don't know what to do." He took a deep breath and uncurled himself from his hunched position, sitting up straight next to John. He would certainly be a few inches taller than John when standing. "I'm sorry I really shouldn't be dumping all my problems onto you. Surely you have places to be?" He seemed to have felt he'd embarrassed himself but John wouldn't allow it. 

"Certainly not. I had just taken a break from the papers I had been marking. You haven't impeded my evening at all." John hoped he sounded reassuring. 

For a time silence hung between them. John could hear the river again. A gust of wind made them both tense against the chill. John was thankful for the warmth his coat provided but he spared a thought for his companion who couldn't have been far off freezing to death in that suit. That damn ugly suit. 

"Can I ask what your costume is?"

"I'm Beetlejuice," The young man stared at him very intently with a bewildered look on his face. "Have you never seen Beetlejuice?"

"Um no? That's a very strange name." John felt like he was being stared at for being the village idiot. But his companion seemed to be delighted as he began to laugh.

"Oh come on man it's a classic. It's about this couple that dies and comes back as ghosts and tries to scare off the people that buy their house but they're so bad at it they hire a poltergeist to do it for them which was a big, big mistake." John smiled to himself at his companion's change of mood. This was better.

"I'll be sure to watch it one day. Are you planning on returning to your friends?" Surely he'd be in better company then.

"Nah I don't think so. I'm not a huge party person. I only agreed to go because no one wanted to go ghost hunting with me."

"I'm sorry, what?" Did he say ghost hunting?

"Yeah looking for witches' ghosts! It's Halloween night in Boston. There's no better time and place for it," There was an impish grin on his face as he spoke. "You know because of all the witch trials? It started right here."

"I thought that was in Salem?"

"Yes in Salem later, but the first hangings were done right here. They say the witches' ghosts are still out there roaming around the Common." He looked giddy now and thoroughly outrageous in his costume. Eagerly he sprang out of his seat and swung around to face John. "So what do you say? Do you want to go witch-hunting with me? Or do you have to get back to those papers?" Brian challenged with mirth. 

John stared up at Beetlejuice open-mouthed. Any immediate protest hadn't made it out. This was silly. He really had to get around to those essays. But the thought of going home to his empty apartment wasn't exactly joyous. Beetlejuice had put out his hand offering it to John. 

"Ok." John, accepting the challenge, took Beetlejuice's hand. 

"Excellent! Look out witches were coming for you!" John was pulled out of his seat and found himself being dragged off in the vague direction of the subway. The two men laughed together as they took off into the night. 

They collapsed into their seats at the back of a mostly empty cart. They had run to catch the next train and were happy to have made it even if they were panting more than they properly should be. 

Beetlejuice took out his phone. 

"Shouldn't take us that long to get there. We'll be there just before midnight. The witching hour," There was a mischievous gleam in his dark honey-coloured eyes. His eyebrows arched suggestively. "When the veil between our world and the next opens up and spirits and demons run free." 

John was finding himself quite charmed by the lighthearted theatrics. 

"What?"

Perhaps John was looking into his eyes a little too intently and now he was caught.

"I just realised I don't know your name. I can't keep thinking of you as Beetlejuice now can I?"

"Brian. I'm Brian." Maybe that bat of his eyelashes wasn't flirtatious and just wishful thinking. 

"John Grey," he returned. "You know Brian, that's a much better name than Beetlejuice."

Brian gave a sheepish shrug.

"I never liked my name too much. It's very ordinary, no? Too..?" Brian gestured as if trying to find the shape of his name with his hands. "It's too solid of a name for me. "

"If you think Brian is ordinary, what about John Grey? You couldn't get a more staunchly English and plain name than that!" It seemed they had at least one thing in common.

The subway quietly rattled along. There wasn't much of a journey to be had but it was enough for the strangers to acquaint themselves with who they'd run off with. 

John learnt that Brian was an engineering student at BU. He had a keen interest in history that he'd picked up from his father. His father had often taken Brian out camping during the holidays to work on Brian's marksmanship skills. While he was a good shot he couldn't really stomach hunting. He had cried for days when his childhood dog Smokey died. And one day he hoped to retire to somewhere more rural.

"You wouldn't miss the city?" 

"I can always visit the city. I want to wake up to the open skies every day."

In turn, John shared how he'd ended up in Boston teaching English literature after a messy break up with his ex. He admitted that he dearly missed seeing his nephews and niece, even his brother in his moments of weakness. His father had never let him get a dog as a child but hand encouraged his sons to learn horse riding. Something John missed terribly from his childhood. 

"You know you're an adult now. You can just book it in and go?"

"Oh it's that simple is it?"

"Sometimes things are and we just make them so they aren't."

The Subway eased into rest at their stop. Out of the shelter of the station, in the embrace of the cold night again, the men found themselves alone on the Common. 

"So where exactly are we going? Not that I don't trust you or anything." Despite the ridiculousness of the situation John had gotten himself into he found himself excited. He'd previously been to the Common in the Summer when he first moved to the city. It had been a lovely place to go for a walk but on a cloudy night in October amongst the faint sound of insects and crunching leaves it had taken on an ominous feeling. 

"The Frog Pond." Brian had the most fantastic look in his eyes. "Or close by. That's where we'll find where the Great Elm used to be. That was the tree they used to hang people off of." John considered for a moment that Brian had sounded a bit too cheerful at the mentioning of executions, but wouldn't commit to the idea that he’d run off with a complete loon until he was sure of it. It would be impolite to do so otherwise. 

Brian stopped, John right alongside him, taking a moment to orientate himself.

"So, should I be worried about hundreds of angry witches' ghosts chasing after me tonight?" John would be the first to admit he didn't believe much in the auspicious but the mind could play tricks on you, especially in the night.

"Probably not that many," There was something strange in the tone of Brian's voice. He seemed once again taken to staring into the distance again. With him seemingly spellbound with the night, John had a moment of grace to study the pink tips of Brian's nose and cheeks and how lovely they were. But there was a concerned frown embossed onto his brow that John matched with his own frown. It seemed the sadness from earlier tonight had come back. 

They continued along the dimly lit paths, deeper into the park. 

"Are you alright?" John had to ask. 

"Yeah, this place just feels strange. Can't you feel it? Like the park is sad." Brian turned and stared into John's eyes with the most intense expression. His amber eyes were warm enough to ease the cold air around John, yet he felt like part of his soul was exposed to Brian at that moment. A moment that was over as quickly as it began. 

Brian took off again in tenacious pursuit of his ghosts and ghouls. It was some time before he spoke again. 

"I'm sorry that must have sounded a little crazy." He gave a nervous laugh.

"No No," John insisted "The night can put you on edge, especially when out in the open." John felt it himself. Brian didn't follow the conversation. John had hoped a conversation would help settle their spirits as well as allow him to get to know his strange yet charming companion. He tried again. 

"You said your father was the one who introduced you to history? Is that how you learnt about witches?"

"Not so much. My dad specialized mostly in the American Revolutionary Era. The witches are my own interest. I can't explain why but I couldn't help but feel drawn to their stories, they were just so heartbreaking," He gave a defeated sigh before carrying on. "Margaret Jones was the first person in the Massachusetts Colony to be hung for witchcraft. Were not even sure why she was accused. But she was a midwife. Maybe they thought her medicines were potions hey?" He spoke with such concern for those long dead. That last comment was cut with such bitterness it surprised John. 

They had now wandered their way to the small lake at the heart of the Common. Venders that usually crowded around the Frog Pond were packed up for the evening. The carousel lay dormant, its lights and music put to rest. There was an oddly abandoned feel to the area that John annoyingly tried to shake off. This place was far from abandoned, it was just night time.

"My parents used to take me ice skating here every winter," Brian spoke wistfully of the memory, still grieving the family unit he once had. It was the first he spoke of his parents since they took off together. 

"I haven't been ice skating since I agreed to babysit my nephews. A terrible idea really, they were nigh impossible to control. But that was quite a few years ago now." John hoped to distract him. It's why they were here after all. Mutual distraction.

"We're so close." Brian sounded assured of himself. He took off across the grass with John on his heels. Brian's mood was increasingly becoming more serious and John hoped that this was just a quirk of Brian's personality and not something John had done inadvertently. 

John kept his distance as Brian brought out his phone light to scour the ground. He walked off to the left a few paces, looked around, and took off to the right.

"Ahh, there it is!" Brian skipped off. 

John walked up from behind and took his place next to Brian. In front of their feet was a small weathered plaque proclaiming this to be the place where the Great Elm once stood. 

"Is this it?" John didn't want to sound too disappointed.

"Yeah, the Great Elm went down a few years ago." Brian looked at his phone and chuckled. "See I told you I would get us here before midnight." True to his word it was now three minutes to midnight. John hadn’t actually expected to see a witch's ghost or any other supernatural activity. 

There was a fog beginning to creep in but that would be a perfectly natural phenomenon to happen. But there was something unnatural in the way it curled around them. Catching them off guard like a swift incoming tide. With rising panic, John realised that he couldn't see more than a few hazy yards in front of him. The city lights around them faded to dim splotches in the distance. He took hold of Brain's arm. In whichever way he looked it was dark and shapeless yet he couldn't shake the feeling that there was always something in the corner of his eye that he couldn't catch.

"Umm Brian? How many witches did you say died here?" Brian looked up directly to where John assumed the sky still was. The city and its inhabitants may as well be a thousand miles away. Beads of sweat began to form at Brian's temples. 

"There were twelve people accused and hung for witchcraft. But they weren't the only ones to die here." Brian himself seemed to be a thousand miles away. "Quakers were hung up and became martyrs. So many native peoples were killed. Who knows how many executions this tree saw. How many died and how many deserved to die?"

"Brian? Brian are you well?" John shook Brian urging his senses to come back to him.

"What if the tree saw so many bad things that it died of sadness, John?"

"Brian!" He begged.

A scream broke out. So fierce was it that John froze in blind terror. Ice formed in his veins. He could see that Brian had collapsed onto the grass, pale and clammy. He couldn’t move. It hurt to move, like ice cold water stinging his flesh. It took all his will to get command of his body back, breaking through the ice to get to Brian. 

"Brian!" In a panic, John rolled Brian onto his back. 

With a gasp, Brian threw his hands up ready to fend John off. He scrambled to his knees ready to run but John was there, holding onto Brian, trying to ground him from the madness of the night. Brian stopped pulling away after remembering who the one holding him was. 

"Brian, Jesus Christ what happened?" John couldn't escape the fear in his own voice. 

"Did you see her?" Brian could hardly get his words out clearly through laboured breaths. Brian's body was radiating so much heat that John could begin to feel his own palms begin to sweat. Sweat coated Brian's forehead. John took one hand and gently placed it on Brian's cheek. So warm and clammy. He looked like he could collapse again at any given moment.

"See who, Brian? There's no one here but us?" Despite his words and better sensibilities, John did feel like there was something else here. Watching them. And they clearly were having a profound effect on Brian. He swallowed the lump of dread that had risen inside him. "Deep breaths now. We're going to be ok." John tried to convince himself of that. 

"There was a woman," Brian clutched onto John's coat with trembling hands. "She was right in front of me. Oh God, she looked like she was rotting," John was helpless against the tears brimming in his eyes. "She had a rope around her neck and then she started screaming at me oh God." Brain collapsed into John trembling. 

"It's ok, She's not here now. It's just us. You're ok."

The two men clung to each other in desperate attempts to keep out the dead and the evil that surrounded them. They held on in the darkness of Halloween night, where the Old Elm tree lived and died. The two men held each other so fiercely till their arms ached and it was well past midnight. 

John had insisted on calling a cab to get them both back to campus as swiftly as possible. Brian was in no condition to be walking back nor did he have it in him to protest the offer. During the trip back Brian had a tight grip on John's left leg, right below his knee. John gave him the comfort of placing his own on top. They didn't speak, they couldn't yet put tonight's event into words, but there was much said in the way that John's thumb worked its way over Brian's knuckles. 

"You know I could have walked myself home."

John had insisted on walking Brian to his dorm. 

"I could not have slept tonight unless I knew for sure that you were home safe." Their shoulders brushed together as they walked across the campus. 

"Thank you. I really mean it," Brian kept his head low as he spoke. "There's a lot of things you didn't have to do tonight but you did." Their hands bumped together causing Brian's to twitch unassuredly. 

"It was my pleasure. Really I could not have dreamed of a more eventful night." John cast back a thought to earlier this evening. How had so much happened in just one evening? 

"Eventful? Now that's for sure!" They shared a laugh of relief. Now back where this evening started John felt far enough away from the witches of the Common to allow himself to begin to relax, the warmth in his bones returning. They had yet to speak exactly of tonight's paranormal events. It was too raw in memory as if speaking too soon would conjure the spirits again. Perhaps they could speak of it another time? 

"I…" Brian began hesitating. He instead took a quick look back to his dorm before turning back to John. Just half a step was all it took on Brian's behalf and now they were closer than politeness usually permitted between strangers. But they surely weren't strangers anymore?

"Yes?" A bubble of nausea crept up in John's throat. He feared that this was the end of something that hadn't had a chance to begin. 

" Do you want to go ice skating? Like… with me?" Brian's voice was so meek John had thought he'd misheard for a moment. 

"Ice skating? Brian, the pond hasn't even frozen over yet. How could we go ice skating when there is no ice?" John laughed. Brian hung there in the moment abashed, glowing scarlet from ear to ear and right down his neck. John silently chided himself for making Brian so flustered, poor thing had been through enough tonight he didn't need to be subject to John's teasing as well. He'd have to cut Brian down and catch him gently. He reached out to take Brian's hands into his own. 

"I'm sure that we can find something else to do in the meantime, yes? Shall I give you my number?" Brian gave an eager nod. With one hand he took out his phone as the other tightened its grip on John as if to make up for the loss of the other hand. John entered his number and directly pocketed into Brian's jacket. 

"Now make sure you drink some water and have a shower before you get to bed. It will help you get a good night's sleep and you will feel better in the morning." 

"Ok," Brian had the most tender look in the depths of his amber eyes. John had to fight the urge not to give him even just a small kiss on his cheek. "I'll see you later then?"

"You will, my dear". There would be plenty of time for that later. 

John mulled over tonight's events with Brian all the way home. He hoped he hadn't been too forward with the young man. And young he was. Maybe going out with a man half his age wasn't a good idea? John promptly dismissed that thought. They had only met this evening. Far from being a couple in any sense of the word. He could think of the ramifications, if any, at a later date. 

The evening's adrenaline had now worn off and John all but fell through his front door. How peculiar it felt to be home where nothing had changed. Except for the fact that he wasn't alone now. 

James Fraser was back from his date, now snoozing on the much-to-small-for-him couch. John's arrival hadn't stirred him so it must be that he was as tired as John felt now. He took a blanket from his armchair and draped it over his sleeping friend. 

Tomorrow they would talk about Claire and how happy Jamie was to get the chance to rekindle their relationship. John was truly happy for his closely cherished friend. As time had gone on he couldn't find it in himself to be jealous anymore. John wasn't a man who held much faith but he did believe that some things were meant to be and some were not. And he and Jamie were simply not. 

He took one last glance at how serene Jamie looked in sleep, devoid of his frantic behaviour before his date. But also his hair, a dark auburn in the dim living room light. How closely did it resemble Brian's? It may just be that John had a red hair fixation he was not admitting to and snorted in response to that thought. Hopefully, there'd be no familial connection. 

**Author's Note:**

> If I had a shot for every time I wrote Brain instead of Brian I'd be dead.


End file.
